Key ring or chain holder



Dec. 17, 1940. E. B. LONG, JR, ET AL 3 KEY RING OR CHAIN HOLDER Filed March 22, 1939 (Eb Q nmmu mm lllllllllllllll 17 \III Imum lllt INVENTORS EDWARD B. LONG,JR.AN HOWARD FIELD CARPENT THEIR ORNEY vIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIflI/n Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs KEY RING on 01mm 110mm Edward B. Long, In, and Howard Field Carpenter, White Plains, N. Y.

Application March 22, 1939, Serial No. 263,350

3 Claims. (Cl. 243) Our present invention relates to holders, and

more particularly to an improved key ring or the attaching means and the means associated with the key ring or key chain and which is associated with the key ring or key chain at all times.

In carrying out our improved invention we preferably utilize as a support a device which may be easily placed in association with a garment such as the pocket of a garment or in association with a handbag such as a lady's handbag with the assurance that such holder will be retained in position by friction against accidental displacement and such holder has associated therewith and formed as an integral part thereof a pair of spaced ears or lugs connected by a track at one portion thereof and which track acts as a guide for the key ring or chain holder for holding the keys against loss. Such holding means comprises essentially a spring member having an eye formed therein and with upstanding legs yieldingly held apart from each other and provided with lateral extensions which cooperate with the spaced lugs or ears on the holder and the legs are of such size and arrangement as to be readily grasped between the thumb and forefinger for the purpose of bringing or tending to bring such legs into parallelism with each other thereby moving the lateral extensions thereof out from engagement with the lugs or ears to permit the key ring or key chain to be removed from the holder. When it is desired to replace the holder attached to the key ring or key chain in position with respect to the holder the legs are grasped between the thumb and forefinger and are brought into engagement with the side of the holder and thence downwardly into engagement with the track extending between the lugs or ears, and which track acts as a guide for guiding the lateral extensions of the legs of the holder into the lugs or ears.

A feature of our invention is a key chain or ring holder.

- thereon for detachably holding a key ring or key I Another feature of our inventionv is an improved holder adapted for temporary "or permanent association with a support and having means chain holder.

-A further feature of,v our invention is an improved holder for a keyring or key chain comprising spaced means connected by a track and V which track forms a guide for laterally extending projections on the key ring or key chain 10 holder.

In the accompanying drawing-.-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a support such as a lady's handbag with which our,'improv'e device is associated; v '15 Fig. 2 is a front elevation of our improved de-' vice illustrating the holder-in association with a key chain and a holder therefor;

Fig. 3 is a sectionalside elevation on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; 20

Fig. 4' is a. front elevation of the holder carry-, j ing the key chain or ring similar to the. like elements in Fig. 2 but shown detached from the 1 holder-illustrated in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view'on the line ,5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, l designates in its entirety -a holder comprising a front or mainbody portion ll having formed integral therewith and lying substantially parallel therewith a spring tensioned member l2 of such character as to be readily moved away from the main portion II but is always constantly urged toward the same. This spring means I! forms with the main body portion II a hook which may be slipped onto any convenient support l3 of the handbag l3a illustrated in perspective in Fig. 1.

At the lower end of the main body portion H are formed ears or lugs l4 spaced apart from each other as shown in Fig. 2 and connected by a track l formed at the lower end of the main body portion H. The upper surface of the track I5 is in alignment with the perforations in the ears or lugs I4 and therefore any device placed on the top of the track l5 may be easily slid into either of the lugs or ears I without any difilculty. Also the front edge I6 of the track is so situated as to be a support to prevent too great a rotary movement of a device associated therewith as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter.

Referring now to Figures, 2, 3, and 4, there is shown a. holder I! for holding a key ring or chain, specifically a key chain l8 as shown in the drawing and which is comprised of a length of 5 spring metal, as spring steel having an eye I8 formed intermediate its ends and, extending upwardly at an angle therefrom, are the legs 20. Each of the legs 20 has formed integral therewith and at the upper ends thereof an Ofl'set portion 200., and the outwardly laterally projecting members 2|, these latter being of a diameter such as to be an easy sliding fit in the lugs or ears I4. The offset portions 20a permit the legs 20 to clear the front edge I8 of the track I5 and thus permits the legs 20 to hang vertically downwardly, as shown in Fig. 3.

When it is desired to remove the holder I1, as shown in Fig. 4, for example, from its position on the main body portion Ii, as shown in Fig. 2, the legs 20 are grasped between the thumb and forefinger and pressure exerted to bring the legs 20 into approximate parallelism whereupon the outward laterally extending projections 2! will be moved inwardly toward each other and out of association with the lugs or cars I4. Under such circumstances the key chain I8 and bolder I! are removed from the support and such use as is desired may be made of the key or keys on the key chain I8. When it is desired to replace the keys on the key chain I8 in the handbag I3, for example, the legs 20 of the holder I! are again grasped between the thumb and forefinger to move the outward lateral projections 2| toward each other and under such circumstances the extensions H are brought into engagement with the outer face of the main body portion II and slid downwardly until one or the other or both of the projections 2| engage with the upper surface of the track I5 and when this occurs the release of pressure on the legs 20 will permit the projections II to enter the openings in the lugs or cars I4 and the device is again in the position shown in Figure 2. The weight of the keys on the key chain I8 will naturally bring the holder II into the position shown a in Figures 2 and 3 and it will be noted that the upper ends of the legs 20 engage with the front surface I6 of the track I5 thereby preventing undue rotary movement in a clockwise direction of the holder I1.

Whereas we have described our invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim 1. An improved key ring or chain holder comprising a body, a resilient member formed integral with the body and lying'substantially parallel thereto, and adapted to yieldingly hold the body in position on a support, ears spaced apart from each other and located at the lower end of the body, a track formed integral with and lying between the ears, a key ring or chain holder of resilient material having laterally extending projections thereon adapted to be guided by said track into the ears.

2. An improved key ring or chain holder comprising a body, a resilient member formed integral with the body and lying substantially parallel thereto, and adapted to yieldingly hold the body in position on a support, ears spaced apart from each other and located at the lower end of the body, a track formed integral with and lying between the ears, 9. key ring or chain holder of resilient material having outwardly extending projections thereon engaging in the ears in association with the body, and with said track engaging with the key ring or chain holder for preventing excessive rotary movement of the key ring or chain holder in one direction.

3. An improved key ring or chain holder comprising a body, a resilient member formed integral with the body and lying substantially parallel thereto and adapted to removably hold the body in position on a support, spaced ears formed integral with the body, a track formed integral with the body and extending between the ears, and having its upper surface lying in substantially the same plane as the perforations in the ears, and having its front edge lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the body, said ears having perforations and said track forming guides to said perforations, a key ring or chain holder of resilient material and having generally upwardly and outwardly extending legs, and outward laterally extending projections at the free ends of the legs engaseable with the track and ears and guided into said ears.

EDWARD B. LONG, JR. HOWARD FIELD CARPENTER. 

